PIPER
Ant doesn’t call. Not that I want him to call. Just that he said he would call, and he hasn’t. For five days, not that I’ve been waiting for it, just that I noticed.
I don’t see him either. Not anywhere. I spend the first couple of days freaking out and hiding in my apartment, but when nothing happens, I get more adventurous and return to my regular life. I’m not disappointed. That would be silly. I don’t want to talk to him, or see him. I just want to get back to normal. Which is exactly what I try to do. By the next Saturday, I’m ready to invite my amazing friends over for dinner just so I don't have to spend another night alone. I make them spinach lasagna. Anam brings two bottles of cheap champagne, and Kelly brings a huge salad. Once the second bottle of champagne is opened, I spill and tell them everything about Ant. Every. Single. Detail.
It’s the only thing they want to talk about from that moment forward.
“Ugh, he’s so creepy.” Kelly shivers, she pours more champagne into the coffee mug she is using in lieu of a flute.
“I guess I’ve read too many dark romance books, because the stalking sounds kinda hot to me.” Anam laughs.
“It’s so, definitely, not hot.” Kelly puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder, and shoots Anam a look that makes Anam roll her eyes.
”Watching you all the time. He could have seen you doing anything.” Anam waggles her eyebrows.
Kelly furrows hers. “Yes, exactly.”
“Yeah,exactly.” Anam grins wickedly.
Yikes, he might have seen me doing anything. Eating, undressing, fucking.??1 My stomach flips at the idea. I can’t believe part of me is in agreement with Anam.
“It’s just my stupid luck,” I admit. “The first guy I attempt to have a one-night stand with, the best sex I’ve ever had, is also a stalker?”
“Ooof, girl. The best ever?” Anam’s eyes go wide. “I mean, I’m sure you can have more really good sex with other people.” She tries to cover for her slip.
“I think you should go to the cops,” Kelly says.
I run my fingers across Mercutio’s chin. He leans into my hand hard and purrs. After a brief back-and-forth for the adoption, Bailey brought him to my house. He’s been the best cuddler and already has far too many toys.
“Go to the cops for what?” I ask. “Because I found a couple pieces of trash at his house? The cops aren’t going to DNA test a lip balm when he hasn’t threatened me, or tried to hurt me. I haven’t even actually seen him following me.”
“He’s still a monster,” Kelly mutters.
“Cryptids aren’t monsters,” I say, feeling slightly defensive.
“No, I mean figuratively a monster, for making you scared to even go outside,” she clarifies.
“I’m just so disappointed. We had such a nice time, we were together all weekend, and he was never anything but sweet. Even when I yelled at him. He just kind of accepted it, like heknew exactly what he did wrong.” The image of his sad eyes and drooping antennae are embedded in my brain.
“He could be dangerous, Piper.”
“Yeah. He could be—” I suck in a ragged breath. “Or I could be overreacting?”
“Girl, no. You reacted totally appropriately. I absolutely would have cussed him out.” Anam barely takes a breath before she continues. “Are you going to see him again?”
“Of course she isn’t,” Kelly says.
“Of course not,” I agree much more hesitantly. I catch Anam’s eye who gives me a knowing smile.
“Do you want to stay with us for a while?” Kelly asks. “Sleep on the couch?”
“Or stay with me for a couple days?” Anam asks.
Anam is a biologist—a professor on the tenure track at the local university. She’s completely dedicated to her job. She lives in a tiny third story walk-up just off campus. If I went there I’d be sleeping on a broken futon covered in research journals.
My other option is staying with Kelly and Jeremy. A happy couple, who are both semi-successful artists. Doing well enough that they don’t need secondary jobs, as long as they share a studio apartment that acts as both their apartment and art studio. The only thing separating the couch I’d be sleeping on and their bed would be a thin privacy curtain.
“No. No. It’s fine. I can’t leave Mercutio alone,” I tell them. “And work is slammed right now.”
